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There was something eerily familiar about that first-half from Manchester United. A Pep Guardiola side schooled them, bypassing their midfield with ease, yet United nabbed an undeserved but brilliantly executed goal and had hope going in at half-time. The only difference with the 2011 Champions League final was United were behind at the pause.

The outcome was still the same, albeit by a one-goal margin. United caused City more problems in the second-half and even enforced a defensive tactical change on Guardiola, and they are unlikely to be as obliging at the Etihad in February. Jose Mourinho said in his press conference 'I know who can accept well the dimension of the game' when it comes to United's next fixture against eminent opponents.

United had the quality to defeat a Guardiola side but their manager made a similar mistake to Sir Alex Ferguson five-and-a-half years ago. The intention in starting Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Jesse Lingard was, as Gary Neville opined, 'enthusing' for United fans and hinted at a more fluid approach, playing to United's attacking strengths but also respecting City's capabilities. Only individuals forgot Mourinho's instructions and the loose formation featured an immobile playmaker.

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Wayne Rooney, ironically, was the only player urging United to press City higher up the pitch but it is in games as frenetic as Saturday's absorbing derby he should be omitted from. It is no surprise a footballer of his physique looks sluggish as he enters the 15th year of his professional career at the age of 30, and if he is to become an asset for United he should perhaps be used as sparingly as Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs. Both faced identity crises in their 30s and both successfully reinvented themselves to remain relevant.

Rooney was not the worst United player against City. He showed more aggression than most and others also compromised United's set-up with their anxiety and timidity. There was one turn-and-pass from Rooney for Mkhitaryan which was one of the most technically supreme moments in a game enriched by the dazzling David Silva, Kevin de Bruyne's brilliance and Zlatan Ibrahimovic's ingenious volley.

Rooney played 90 minutes against City

Mourinho stressed United 'didn't have a tactical problem'. It was refreshing to hear a manager focus on performers rather than tactics without passing the buck (Mourinho took 'responsibility' for the defeat), yet there must have been a problem since he changed United's formation for the second-half.

It was peculiar the ruthless Mourinho did not alter the shape or personnel after De Bruyne's goal. He didn't want to 'destroy' players' confidence by hooking them, but City were destroying United and they caught the frozen Mourinho cold again by doubling their advantage.

Rooney was United's most ebullient performer against Barcelona at Wembley in 2011 but Ferguson felt he was too static behind Javier Hernandez and the problem resurfaced against Guardiola's City. Paul Pogba, as Mourinho said last month, is United's midfield 'runner' yet for 45 minutes he was pegged back as City outnumbered United's midfield.

Pogba had a game to forget

Pogba is a brilliant enough midfielder who can make formations irrelevant but not against the supreme City and Marouane Fellaini, whom Mourinho was frantically hollering at in the opening minutes, was isolated while attempting to shield Eric Bailly and Daley Blind. Antonio Valencia was lured inside and that freed up more room for Nolito on the left - Aleksandar Kolarov to Nolito was the most frequent pass collaboration - and the freedom in that channel appealed to the destructive De Bruyne, who was not properly tracked until Ander Herrera emerged at half-time.

Tactics could not legislate for Pogba's dithering, Lingard allowing the ball to run under his studs or Mkhitaryan's nervousness. The players were more culpable than the manager, with too many playing the occasion instead of the opposition. Still, United improved by switching to 4-3-3 and their threat was such Fernando replaced Kelechi Iheanacho.

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Guardiola opined afterwards Herrera was 'really good going for the second balls' and City relinquished a measure of control as Fellaini and Pogba were pushed further forward. Fellaini was excellent in August but is a greater asset as an advanced midfielder and the £89million Pogba warrants more attacking freedom.

It is not knee-jerk to claim United would be a better side with a three-man midfield when it was apparent a month ago. The players available justify it and the majority are flexible enough to alternate between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1. Pogba was not bought to toil like he did in the Euro 2016 final.

Herrera improved United

Mourinho, as Neville noted, 'is having the same deliberations around Wayne Rooney's position that the last four or five managers have had that have managed him.' It dates back 10 years, to his doubtful display on the left wing for United at Benfica, a night Cristiano Ronaldo cemented himself as United's young talisman over the 20-year-old Rooney, who would go on to recover in a prolific second half of 2006-07.

Now, though, the best United side excludes Rooney. Against City, he gave the ball away six times - that was fewer errant passes than Herrera, Eric Bailly and Luke Shaw - but on the right wing less than 20 per cent of his crosses were successful and not one of his four corners found a teammate. There are superior options at No.10, in midfield and on the right wing.